R. Kelly: 5 Issues About Singer Accused Of Years Of Abuse In New Documentary

January 3, 2019

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The brand new Lifetime docu-series, ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ — premiering on Thursday, January 3 — investigates the intercourse abuse allegations made in opposition to the singer for many years. Right here’s 5 info about R. Kelly earlier than quite a few survivors inform their alleged harrowing encounters with him.

R. Kelly, 51, will significantly be beneath the microscope on January 3, 2019, when the brand new six-part Lifetime docu-series, Surviving R. Kelly premieres. The movie will examine the sexual and home abuse allegations made in opposition to the singer over the course of almost three a long time throughout his rising music profession. The sequence will interview survivors, family and friends. Right here’s 5 info about him earlier than Surviving R. Kelly premieres on Lifetime.

1. R. Kelly is an American singer, songwriter and producer. — R. Kelly, whose actual title is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is a Chicago, Illinois native. He’s one among 4 youngsters to his late single mom, who was additionally a singer. His father was apparently absent rising up. Kelly’s highschool music instructor Lena McLin described his childhood residence as “naked.” — “One desk, two chairs. There was no father there, I knew that, they usually had little or no.” At age 11, he was shot within the shoulder whereas driving his bike residence. In 1996, Kelly married Andrea Lee, his former backup dancer and the mom to his three youngsters. She filed a restraining order in opposition to Kelly in 2005 after an alleged bodily altercation, and later filed for divorce in 2006. In 2018, Lee alleged that Kelly bodily abused her throughout their marriage. 2. His profession resume is spectacular. — Kelly has launched 12 solo studio albums, and bought over 75 million albums and singles worldwide, making him probably the most profitable R&B male artist of the 1990s and one of many best-selling music artists of all time. In March 2011, he was named probably the most profitable R&B artist of the final 25 years by Billboard. Many have referred to him because the king of R&B. He’s identified for quite a few, chart-topping hit singles together with “Bump N’ Grind”, “Your Physique’s Callin’”, “I Imagine I Can Fly”, “Gotham Metropolis”, “Ignition (Remix)”, “If I Might Flip Again the Fingers of Time”, “The World’s Best”, “I’m a Flirt (Remix)”, and “Trapped within the Closet”. Kelly gained three Grammy Awards for “I Imagine I Can Fly”. He was additionally nominated for a Grammy for writing Michael Jackson‘s, “You Are Not Alone”. Kelly has collaborated, written, and produced songs for a slew of artists together with Aaliyah, JAY-Z, Nas, Diddy, The Infamous B.I.G., Woman Gaga, T.I., Snoop Dogg, Usher, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, amongst others. He carried out at Whitney Houston‘s memorial in 2012.

3. In 2002 Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of kid pornography. — On February 3, 2002, a video surfaced allegedly displaying Kelly partaking in intercourse with, and urinating on, an underage woman. After he claimed it was not him within the video, police later found a dozen pictures of an underage woman, (believed to be the identical woman within the tape, in response to stories) on a digital digicam at his residence in Florida. The singer pleaded not responsible and was later acquitted of all expenses in 2008.

In July 2017, it was reported that the singer was allegedly holding girls hostage in a “cult” in opposition to their will, in response to a function by BuzzFeed Information. Kelly later launched a 19-minute music titled, “I Admit” on July 23, 2018, as a response to his accusers, which denied the allegations. He mentioned on the observe: “I admit that I’m not good, I by no means mentioned I used to be good/Mentioned I’m abusing these girls, what the f–ok that’s some absurd s–t/They’re brainwashed, actually?/Kidnapped, actually?/Can’t eat, actually?/Actual speak, that s–t sound foolish”.

4. Kelly has claimed he was allegedly abused by girls at a younger age. — Kelly has alleged that he was abused by a lady who was at the very least 10 years older than him. “I used to be too afraid and too ashamed,” Kelly wrote in his autobiography about why he by no means informed anybody.

5. Surviving R. Kelly.— A few 12 months after BuzzFeed’s report, Lifetime introduced the docu-series, Surviving R. Kelly, which premieres on January 3, 2019. The community mentioned the sequence’ purpose is to “shed a lightweight on controversial R&B star R. Kelly, whose historical past of alleged abuse of underage African American women has till just lately been largely ignored by mainstream media.” The docu-series investigates the sexual and home misconduct claims which were made in opposition to singer, and interviews survivors, family and friends. Within the docu-series, one among Kelly’s former private assistants, Demetrius Smith claims he married Aaliyah when she was 15. Smith alleged that the rapper obtained “papers cast for them when Aaliyah was underage.” The R&B singer’s brothers, Bruce and Carey, additionally break their silence on the allegations within the docu-series.